I Have Been Changed
by Lunar Sunsets
Summary: After an argument in the cornfield, resulting in Elphaba leaving after laughing in her face, Glinda is left to think about what she did.


_**Please forgive the title and the awkward...everything. :/ This is my second attempt at writing a Wicked fic, and I hope it's not too terrible. :)**_

_**Wicked belongs to Gregory Maguire**_

* * *

All she did was love. The green skinned girl took her heart and ripped it out, laughing in her face and walking away. Glinda was left standing there, in the cornfield, on the verge of tears. She watched Elphaba – no, the Wicked Witch – walk away, broom in hand and black dress flowing behind her in the wind.

Elphaba didn't stop, she didn't look back, she didn't show Glinda any remorse. She walked away, never missing a step, never even glancing around.

"E…Elphie," Glinda said in a choked whisper before dropping to her knees and crying. She'd never felt this…this…_hopeless _before in her life.

A loud cackle brought her out of her own world. She looked up and saw Elphaba flying away, laughing as if she had just seen the funniest thing ever.

* * *

Days passed. Glinda sat on her bed, unable to bring herself to rise to her feet. How did she _still _feel this bad? Elphaba hadn't shown up since the cornfield, and she hadn't been heard from either. Glinda half-hoped that Elphaba was hiding, or that maybe Dorothy had found her. Maybe Elphaba had gotten the enchanted shoes and run off like she had said.

Maybe – just maybe – Elphaba had left, leaving behind the shoes and the Grimmerie. Glinda could only hope that the Wicked Witch had escaped.

But, as time passed, she realized that this was a childish hope. Elphaba was stubborn and rarely backed down until she got her way. Glinda knew that Elphaba wouldn't leave until she got the shoes. The pain of what had happened in the cornfield still remained, the final words Elphaba had said to her still floating around in her brain.

* * *

"_I will never give up! Those shoes are mine, Glinda, and I will die before I let that girl take them from me!" Elphaba shouted, hitting her broomstick on the ground a few times. Glinda recognized the look in her eyes – she'd seen it so many times while they were at Shiz._

_ "Elphie, stop," the blond ordered._

_ "Why? You gave them away. Nessarose promised them to me! They were mine, Glinda!" Elphaba argued._

_ "Elphaba, she's a girl! No older than we were at Shiz! She's scared and you're just going to make it worse! Don't you dare touch her, Elphaba!" Glinda shouted at the green woman. Elphaba turned to walk away but Glinda reached out and grabbed her arm, roughly pulling Elphaba back. Both women exchanged glares, silently challenging the other._

_ "Let me go, you wretched woman!" Elphaba shrieked, shattering the somewhat peaceful silence._

_ "Elphaba! Promise me you won't hurt the girl!" Glinda pleaded._

_ "Let me go!"_

_ Glinda released Elphaba, who took the time to brush dust off of her dress._

_ "Elphaba…before you go…I want you to know something," the blond said through gritted teeth. Elphaba grunted as if telling Glinda to continue speaking. "Elphie, I don't want you to get hurt. Please, Elphie. Don't hurt the girl. Give up the shoes, run away, find safety. Please, Elphie."_

_ Elphaba scoffed. "And why do you care, Glinda?"_

_ "Because I love you," Glinda whispered._

_ "Excuse me?"_

_ "I love you! I can't stand the idea of you getting hurt, Elphie! Please don't risk your life for a pair of shoes! Please!" Glinda cried. She reached out for Elphaba's hand. The green woman refused to allow herself to be touched. She scowled at Glinda. "Elphaba…?"_

_ "I thought you were smart. I thought you knew me, Glinda," Elphaba mumbled. "I can't love. It's worthless to reason with me. I'm going to get those shoes back, even if it means I die."_

_ Glinda couldn't speak. Elphaba took the silence as a goodbye. She laughed, genuinely laughed, and turned to walk away. Glinda reached out, wanting to pull Elphaba back._

* * *

Another few weeks passed. Time became a blur. Glinda remembered little, mostly things involving news about the girl from Kansas and the Wizard. One night, while Glinda was preparing for bed, preparing to end another day that she couldn't quite remember, she heard a familiar whisper.

"Glinda."

The blond paused, freezing completely and listening. A minute passed before she shrugged it off as her imagination and she continued to get ready for bed.

"Glinda!"

This time, Glinda was sure she heard someone say her name. A familiar voice, at that. She couldn't quite place the voice.

"Glinda!"

Half-running towards the window and stopping suddenly, the blond struggled to see out into the darkness. She barely made out a figure in the trees. Before Glinda could call out to the person, she saw the face.

Green skin.

"Elphaba?"

Glinda found herself standing face-to-face with her old friend in the middle of her room.

"I'm so sorry. For what I said in the cornfield," Elphaba said quickly. Her eyes glanced around and Glinda wondered why Elphaba was acting so panicked. "Glinda, this may be the last time we meet. I want you…I wanted to see you again before…before what happens…happens."

"What do you mean?" Glinda asked. She had a feeling that she knew what was about to happen. She didn't let Elphaba reply. "Did you get the shoes?! Elphie! I asked - _told_ you not to - !"

"Glinda! Please quiet down," Elphaba snarled. "This may be the last time we talk and I wanted you to know that I…I love you too. I'm late, I know, but I can't…_die_…without telling you."

"Elphie – !"

"Let me finish," Elphaba paused. Glinda nodded, immediately becoming silent. Slowly – hesitantly – the green woman took Glinda's hand into both of hers. Her breathing sped up and she acted like she was about to fly away, into the sunset – or sunrise, depending on how you looked at it.

"Glinda, you changed me. I was not like this before we met, I hated everyone and thought everyone hated me. When I met you, I thought you were like them and that you hated me but I see that's not true," Elphaba's voice remained soft and she began talking faster. "I may not have been changed enough to avoid this but…I did change. Thank you, Glinda."

Finishing what she needed to say, Elphaba turned to leave. Glinda stopped her, grabbing her arm and gently pulling her back.

"Elphie, please don't go," she pleaded. The green woman stared at the floor in silence. "Elphie…"

"Please let me go, Glinda," Elphaba looked at Glinda, half-begging, half-hoping. Glinda pulled Elphaba closer, wrapping her arms around her friend.

"I don't want you to leave. Please stay. You don't have to go," she whispered. She stepped back, letting Elphaba go.

Elphaba paused, looking between Glinda and the window. She stopped, eyes frozen on Glinda. The blond swore she saw tears in Elphaba's dark eyes.

"Goodbye, Glinda," the green woman whispered, hurrying to climb out of the window. Glinda ran to the window, leaning out to catch a glimpse of Elphaba before she disappeared.

There was nothing but night. Glinda reached out, wanting to touch Elphaba again. She stood there for a while before finally giving up and retiring to bed.


End file.
